The Addams Family. It wasn’t only “the misadventures of a blissfully macabre family” and a spiffy, strange show from the 1960s. Out of this offering was borne one of the most recognizable theme songs from the decade … one that yet continues to cause finger popping and frolickry to this very day.
It was Vic Mizzy — self-taught musical writer extraordinaire and longtime Hollywood composer — who was responsible for the The Addams Family theme. The attraction to his tune can be found nestled within his composition — two singular and predominant ingredients: a macabre yet jaunty harpsichord and the aforementioned percussive finger-snaps. Add to those the punctuation of the words “neat,” “sweet” and “petite” by Lurch (actor Ted Cassidy) and you have a theme that was so popular at the time it was granted and enjoyed single release status in the United States.
An icon of musicality, indeed.
And this happy little tune didn’t stop its recognition just at the black and white program. Oh, no. It has been used in everything from sports’ interlude crowd pleasers to children’s classrooms across the country.
Oh … they tried to slap an update on the show, complete with a revamp of the theme (View bottom video at your own risk. And if you do, I’m not providing any complimentary ear bleach.) That went up in a flaming conflagration of ear pain. Nor am I going to torture you with a visit to the ghastly Hammer offering made from the original film. (But … if you must, you’re on your own.)
Our own Debbie McDuffee noted her thoughts on The Addams Family theme: “You know, I really never watched this show as a kid, but when we were teaching Owen our phone number, that’s the tune we used. A lot of K and 1 teachers also use that tune to teach the “Days of the week…” (click click), “Days of the week…” (click click)…. You get the point. (See the second video below.) So I guess I view The Addams Family theme song as highly educational, LOL!”
Wil Wheaton chimed in as well: “When I hear The Addams Family theme, I don’t think of the show at all; I think of Dodger Stadium, where the well-known Bubb-ba-dump <<click click>> is played frequently on the stadium organ.”
… to which our fearless leader Keith McDuffee responded: ” Dear lord, I think that’s every baseball stadium in the country.”
Whether you saw the program or not … whether young or old … you know this song. Theme songs: One of the greatest joys I know. Especially when they can evoke a smile or a lift to an otherwise hectic, busy day. Give us a holler and let us know your thoughts when you hear the theme from The Addams Family.
In the words of Lurch: “Neat.”
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on May 26, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
I have a vivid memory of eating my Cap’n Crunch and snapping along! I had a thing for Gomez.
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*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww*
Gomez? Really … !??
This theme and “I Dream of Jeannie” (by Hugo Montenegro) are the two greatest TV themes to come from that era. Let’s not discount the other incidental music that Mizzy did for “The Addams Family”–the music with the establishing shots and other bits of show. Just as phenomenal, and memorable (but no lyrics).
The flat-out best scene from the first “Addams Family” movie with Raul Julia was the pre-credit sequence, where the Christmas carolers were gathered at the door, and the camera pans up to show the whole family preparing to pour boiling oil down on them. Followed by the one use of the classic theme music in the whole movie. It only went downhill from there.
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Scott: I’ve always been a Vic Mizzy fan. Tons and tons of great themes and other tidbits from him. The dude was prolific as all get out.
The thing that cracks me up about him? “The Shakiest Gun In The West”. Classic!